nvidia 188 driver install

[diddy1234]

Hi everyone

I was wondering if people can help me on this problem.

I am trying to install the nvidia 188 driver only I cannot terminate Xorg or log in at console level.

steps performed :-

1. downloaded the 188 driver from nvidia's web site
2. chmod +x on the driver file
3. attempted to kill xorg (just restarts xorg)
4. attempted to log in to console screen at kde log in (screen goes blank the restarts Xorg)

so how do I kill Xorg or terminate it properly to run the nvidia driver installer ?

[flarson]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

Go to virtual terminal 1 (Ctl-Alt-F1), login, and kill kdm,(sudo service kdm stop).

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

I am affraid that didnt work.

If I stop the kdm service I am left with a blank screen.

If It helps my system is a laptop.
I suspect the screen output my be different (laptop has VGA and DVA connectors as well as the internal screen). hence the blank screen.

So my understanding is that this driver cannot be installed unless I remote into my machine with kdm not running.

This is the only way that I can think of installing the driver. if so this is the most stupid of ways to install a driver.

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

just a further update.

I thought I may be able to get around this problem by booting up in recovery (press escape at the very start of booting and select recovery, then select root shell).

unfortunately the root shell requires a password (good security measure) but my password (which is root password as well) is not accepted.

In circumstances like this, this clearly shows lack of forward thinking in the linux world, which is a great shame.

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

ok I really am out of ideas now.

tried to edit the boot process and add no kdm or init 3 to the bootloader and the usual boot process continues.

so :-
1. unless i can what the actual root password is (for use in the recovery mode)
or
2. remove kde to get a log in screen.

no one can currently boot up in a non graphical screen for users with laptops.

so does anyone know when nvidia driver 188 will be installable via kubuntu hardware wizard or via envy ?

[dibl]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

unfortunately the root shell requires a password (good security measure) but my password (which is root password as well) is not accepted.

In circumstances like this, this clearly shows lack of forward thinking in the linux world, which is a great shame.

I'm not sure where to begin with the issues here -- root password not being accepted is kind of a death knell, and far from normal behavior. Your system is pretty useless, with or without a video driver, if you don't know the root password (I kinda doubt the system forgot it).

Possibly the most progressive of forward-thinking Linux developers will discover the marvels of a password-free administrator account for the system, just like Microsoft did, but I wouldn't hold my breath.



p.s. -- you do know about "sudo" for *buntu root-privilege commands, right? As in

sudo apt-get install envyng-qt

and

sudo envyng -t

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

dibl, yes sudo works fine in the desktop and does accept my password.
however in recovery it does not accept the same password.
i have checked the suders file and all is well there.

regarding envy, i have this installed and it does show a list of drivers but the one i am using 177 is its most recent in the list

so i do not know how to go from here

[dibl]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

If 177 is the only driver EnvyNG offers, then probably you have a GF5xxx Nvidia chip? EnvyNG checks for the hardware, and then it will only offer the driver that is appropriate for your chip.

p.s. if I am wrong about your Nvidia card and you have a later one, then download the new 180.35 driver from here:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=128939

Exit the X server with Ctrl-Alt-F1, shut it down with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

and then copy the driver somewhere (like /tmp) where it won't mess up your user folder, and run the installer in "sudo" mode.

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

dibl

that does make sense.
I have a nvidia 71xx graphics card. so maybe this newer driver does not yet support my gfx card.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

According to Nvidia, this new 180.35 driver should support your GeForce 7100 -- I'd give it a try, if I were you. Make sure you get either the 32-bit or the 64-bit, according to your Kubuntu architecture. You want the "....pkg2.run" package.

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

yep got that driver d/l

my problem is that I need a console window to install it but I cannot get a console window.
just a blank screen.

i suspect that the 'console screen' is on another gfx output (like the VGA or DVI connector) on this laptop.

this may be a problem for other laptop users as most laptops support connectivity to other screens.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

That's some issue with your laptop screen. Try some boot option codes, like "vga=788" and see if you can get a decent text screen.

[diddy1234]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

ok will do

thanks for your help.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

Also try "vga=791"

[flarson]

Re: nvidia 188 driver install

To reset your root password to something you know use

sudo -s

You will then have a root shell and you can run
passwd.

It will ask for a new root password and set it to that.

Did you ever get to a virtual terminal other than vt7? VT7 is the one X is running on so if you open konsole and run sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop
your screen will go black.

At any point you can Hold Control and Alt while pressing F1 and you will get VT1. This works for vf1 through vt7. When X is running it is on vt7.